Hen&#39;s nest



Dec. 27, 1927. 1,654,415 J. K- DARBY ET AL HENS NEST Filed March 1'7, 192/ 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. LZ6000 8141mm ford,

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Dec. 27, 1927. 1,654,415

J K. DARBY ET AL,

HEN'S NEST Filed March 17, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 9140 wgwd' I V Snvudou,

1 I P J I Dec. 27, 1927. 1,654,415

J. K. DARBY. ET AL I HENS NEST ,Filed March 17, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 amoemtow Patented lil es. 2?, i927.

resins TENT ()FFICE.

Jo -inn. DARBY AND DANIEL LUCAS, or PUYALLUP, WASHINGTON.

HENS NEST.

Application filed March 1'7, 1927. Serial No. 176,094.

This invention aims to provide a novel means whereby after an egg has been laid, the egg will be permitted to pass into a separate compartment, thereby. preventing a breal. 01 he egg, and permitting a laid egg to be removed from one part of the nest whilst a hen still is laying an egg in another part of the nest.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

l iTith the above and otherob'jects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details oi construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a top plan wherein parts are broken away;

Figure 2 is a front elevation wherein parts are broken back into section;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section;

Figure 4k is a transverse. section;

Figure 5 is a transverse section showing a modification; and

Figure 6 is a section taken about on the line 66 of Figure 5.

In carrying out the invention there is provided a casing including a bottom 1, a front 2, a back 3, a top 6, and, if desired, supporting cleats 5 on the bottom 1. The front 2 does not extend the full height of the casing and so there is formed at the front of the casing, an opening 7 by which the hen can enter and leave the nest. The casing is provided. with any desired number of transverse partitions 8 extended between the bottom 1 and the top 6, and between the front 2 and the back 3. The rear edges of the partitions 8 are inclined as atv In the partitions 8, vertical guide grooves 12 are -formed. In the guide grooves 12 a gate 14; slides. In its lowermost position, the gate it rests on a toraminous bottom 15, made of wire netting or the like, the bottom 15 slanting rearwardly from the upper edge of the front to the back 3. At the rear end. of each compartment there isa cushion which may be made as desired. If preferred, the cushion may consist of a piece of resilient wire netting which is looped at 17 behind the partitions 8, the ioops 17 being bound against the back 3 by the rear edges of the partitions. Between the partitions 8, the netting or other material is extended forwadly as at 18 so as to space the netting from the back 3 and form a cushion against which the eggs ultimately roll.

T he device includes a treadlelever 19 for each compartment. The treadle lever is a composite structure and may be composed" of a U-shaped member 20, the side arms of which are designated by the numeral 21.

The side arms 21 may be distorted slightly.

to form seats 22 received in eyes or other fulcrum members 23 on the partitions 8. A tread plate 24 rests on the side arms 21 and on the intermediate portion of the U- shaped member 20, as disclosed in Figure 2,and the intermediate portion of the U shaped member 20 is secured at 25 to the tread plate. of the treadle lever extend beneath the lower edge of the vertically slidable gate 14 and rest on the inclined foraminous bottom 15. The tread plate 24: is located outside of the casing 1 at the lower end of the opening 7.

In practical. operation, the hen enters the nest by way of the opening 7 lays the egg in the main compartment which is designated by the numeral 26. The. egg comes into contact with the gate 1 1 and there remains until the hen leaves the nest. As the hen leaves the nest, the hen steps on the tread plate 24, and the treadle lever 19 is tilted on its fulcrum. the gate 14% being He), raised In the guide grooves 12 and the eggs being permitted to roll baclnvardly and downwardly along the toraminons bottom 15 into contact with the cushion 18 which will yield enough to prevent the eggs from being cracked or smashed. When the hen steps oft the foot plate 24, the gate 14- moves by gravity to a closed position, and the nest is ready to be used by another hen. The

The inner ends of the arms 21..

egg may be removed at any time by lifting the lid 10 and this may be done without disturbing a hen, which may happen to be in the compartment 26.

7 An egg when first laid is soi'i'iewhat moist, but dries rapidly It a moist egg 18 permitted to roll very far, it will collect dust, which spoils the appearance of the egg. In the device forming the subject matter of this application, the egg rests against the gate 14 and remains there until the hen steps on the tread plate 24:. During this interval, the has time to dry and as it rolls back against'the cushion 18, the egg does not collect dust from the bottom 15.

In Figures 5 and 6, parts hereinbefore described have been designated by numerals previously used, with the suliix"a. In this modification, the arms 21" of the treadl'e lever 19 are provided at their ends with upstanding fingers 40 to which the gate 14 is secured, as shown at ll.

This hens nest may be manutactured from wood, or metal, or partly from wood and partly from metal.

VVha't is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a nest having main ant auxiliary compartments, a gate movable in the nest and separating the compartments, and a treadle lever tulcrumed intermediate its ends in the nest, one end of the treadle lever cooperating with the gate to raise the gate when the other end of the treadle lever is depressed, and an inclined bottom c0nstituting means for carrying an eggrearwardly from the main compartment to the auxiliary compartment when the gate is raised.

2. In a device of the class described, a nest having a rearwardly inclined bottom, a positive egg-stop in the form ola gate movable above the bottom and dividing the nest into main and auxiliary compartments, and means operated by a hen as the hen leaves the nest, for opening the gate and moving it out of egg-stopping position, thereby to permit an egg to roll from the main compartment to the auxiliary compartment.

.3. In a device of the class described, a

casing having partitions, a gate movable between the partitions and dividing the casing into main and auxiliary compartments, a treadle lever cooperating with the gate to raise the gate and :t'ulcrumed intermediate its ends on the partitions, and a rear- Wardly inclined bottom extended from the front to the back of the casing and constituting means for directing an .egg from the main compartment into the auxiliary compartment, when the gate is raised.

In testimony that we claim the, foregoing as our own, we have hereto affixed our signatures. v

JOHN K. DARBY. I DANIEL" LUCAS. 

